Lake Ridge Elementary School

What a wonderful two nights welcoming our Explorer families back to Lake Ridge! 💚💙 Thank you to everyone who joined us for Open House as we kicked off another exciting school year.

A special thank you to our amazing PTA for always decorating our school and creating such a warm, welcoming environment for our students and families. We also appreciate our cafeteria manager, Mrs. Fisher, for handing out apples and reminding families that all students will receive FREE breakfast and lunch again this school year. 🍎

We’d also like to give a shout out to our Sunshine Committee for treating our staff to cookies before Open House. It was the perfect reminder that this is going to be a great school year! 🍪✨

We can’t wait to see our Explorers on the first day of school! 💚💙

The Lake Ridge family is excited to welcome another new member! Learn more about Mr. McCord below.

My name is Jason McCord, and I’m excited to join Lake Ridge. I have been a custodian with Johnson City Schools for the past 15 years and bring more than 23 years of custodial experience, along with a background in Computer Science.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my wife. We love attending live theater, listening to storytelling, and enjoying music together. I also enjoy reading historical romance and historical fiction, writing short stories, and using Linux computers.

I am excited to be an Explorer and continue my career at Lake Ridge. I can’t wait to meet the staff, students, parents, and the Lake Ridge community. Go Toppers!

Meet & Greet starts tomorrow! 💚💙 We can’t wait to welcome our Explorer families back to Lake Ridge over the next two days. Whether you’re joining us Thursday for grades K-2 and Multi-Age or Friday for grades 3-5, we are excited to kick off another amazing school year. We’ll see you soon! ✨

Our Lake Ridge team had an incredible day sharing ideas, learning from colleagues, and showcasing innovative teaching practices at the 2026 JCS Innovation Academy! 💚💙 We are so proud of our Explorers who presented sessions and shared their expertise with educators across the district.

⭐ Morgan Wood & Hannah Berry
Plan Less, Teach More: AI Tools for Busy Upper Elementary ELA Teachers

⭐ Emily Dye
From Chaos to Clarity: JCS Dashboard for PreK–2 Classrooms

⭐ Kami Preston
From Drills to Thrills: High-Impact Review Games

⭐ Renee Becker & Ashlea Martin
Portal Power APP-solutely Essential

⭐ Ryan Glenn
How to Create and Edit Videos on a Budget with Canva

Thank you for representing Lake Ridge so well and for sharing your knowledge, creativity, and passion with educators across Johnson City Schools. We are proud to have such talented educators leading the way! ✨

Don’t forget! Our Popsicles and Smiles event is today! This event will be happening rain or shine. In the event of rain, this will be moved into the cafeteria. We can’t wait to see our Explorer families!😊

We’re excited to introduce another new member of the Lake Ridge team! 💙 Meet Ms. Forbis and learn a little about her in her own words below.

My name is Michelle Forbis, and I am excited to join the Lake Ridge Elementary Family as the Assistant Director of the EduCare/ECLC Program. I have worked in education for several years, supporting children with diverse academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. My Passion is creating safe, engaging and nurturing environments where every child feels valued, respected and encouraged to grow.

I believe that strong relationships with children, families, and staff are the foundation of a successful school community. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, exploring creative ideas for our student programs, and continuing to learn about child development and leadership.

Fun fact about me: I like to make people laugh and One of my favorite things to do is conversating with the students. I learn something new every day from them. I can't wait to meet all of our Explorer families and help make this wonderful school year!

If you know Dr. Hibbitts, you know one of her favorite places is Disney World! 🏰✨ She had a magical time making memories with her family, enjoying the attractions, and soaking in all the Disney fun before another exciting school year begins. We know she’s excited to welcome our Explorers back soon for another amazing year at Lake Ridge! 💚💙

Tomorrow’s the day! 🍧☀️ Stop by the Lake Ridge track from 4:00–5:00 PM for Popsicles & Smiles! Come enjoy a free popsicle, spend time with your favorite Lake Ridge staff, and celebrate the end of summer with us before we kick off another amazing school year. We hope to see lots of Explorer families soon! 💚💙

Summer adventures are even better with friends! ☀️💚 Ms. Gurley, Ms. James, Mrs. Williams, and Ms. Landis enjoyed a relaxing day at the lake, soaking up the sunshine and making the most of summer before another exciting school year begins.🌊⛵️

Sometimes the best adventures are the ones we never planned. 🌅💚 While visiting Hilton Head Island, Dr. Preudhomme set out before sunrise in search of the perfect beach view. After taking a wrong turn, she stumbled upon something even more memorable. She was greeted by deer, wandered along a peaceful boardwalk overlooking a breathtaking marsh, watched birds and crabs, and even had the whole gazebo to herself for a little singing and dancing. 🦌🦀

As she headed back to her car, she discovered she had accidentally found the historic community of Mitchell, the first independently operated town by Black residents on Hilton Head Island. While exploring the site’s history, she even learned more about Robert Smalls, a harbor pilot who played an important role in the events at Fort Sumter, which connects to what our 4th graders study in Tennessee Social Studies! What started as a wrong turn became a meaningful reminder that sometimes life’s “beautiful mistakes” lead us exactly where we’re meant to be. ✨